The present invention relates to floor boxes for use with in-floor service distribution systems in concrete floors and more particularly to a floor box that can be used for activation of one or more services such as power, communication, or data.
Service distribution systems embedded in floors provide services to locations on the floor. Connections to services, or activation of services, from such distribution systems may be made through a hole in the floor surface providing access to a floor box embedded in the floor and connected to one or more service distribution systems.
Floor boxes known in the art that are adapted for connection to distribution systems, such as conduit, have provided limited connections to in-floor service distribution systems and limited flexibility in configuring the connections to distribution systems. Because limited connections are available, the number of services to which access may be provided is limited as are options for routing connectors through conventional floor boxes. These limitations complicate assembly of the distribution system. In addition, installation of connectors and other activation hardware in floor boxes conventionally requires assembly of a significant portion of the activation hardware in such boxes making installation time consuming and expensive.
Another consideration in assembly of some service distribution systems embedded in concrete floors is the requirement that the system be water-tight. Such systems are conventionally required in on-grade floors. Water-tight floor boxes for such systems have been made, at least in part, of cast iron. Such floor boxes share the above described disadvantages and are more expensive than those not required to be water-tight making installation of additional floor boxes an even greater disadvantage for water-tight systems than for systems that are not water tight.
A need therefore exists for a floor box which accommodates a greater number of connectors and service conductors and allows greater flexibility for connector configuration and conductor routing than prior floor boxes. There is also a need for a floor box in which connectors can be installed with less assembly and disassembly of activation hardware than is required for installation in prior floor boxes. A need also exists for a floor box which allows greater flexibility in routing conductors through the floor box to connectors within the box and to service distribution systems connected to the box than prior floor boxes. There is also a need for a floor box that does not require significant disassembly of activation hardware in the box.